NEW ORLEANS — The Jets already had held the Saints on two critical fourth-and-one plays — defensive stands that had kept them in a game their quarterback was throwing away — when they suffered a momentary loss of composure.

Specifically, Jets nose tackle Kris Jenkins lost it, committing the most damaging penalty of the season to date.

With the Saints clinging to a 17-10 lead and facing a fourth-and-inches at the Jets’ 43-yard line with 9:06 remaining in the game, Saints quarterback Drew Brees drew Jenkins into an offside penalty, giving them a crucial first down. Five plays later, the Saints scored a touchdown and took a 24-10 lead, putting the game out of reach.

Saints coach Sean Payton said the plan for Brees to hard count was an attempt to draw the Jets off for the free first down, and that if it didn’t work, they would have taken the delay penalty and punted.

“It hurts to have to talk about, because you don’t ever want to feel like something that you did helps contribute to your team losing, but right now that’s how I feel.

“Nobody’s perfect,” Jenkins said. “My intentions were good. I was trying to get some movement, trying to knock the center back and get some penetration to stop them. They caught me off sides. I have to be a man and accept the reality of the situation.”

Jenkins had been a big part of a goal-line stand from the 1-yard line and the other fourth-and-one stop.

“I have some good ones and I have some bad ones,” he said. “It’s how the game goes. I have to leave here, go look at the film, swallow that hard pill and get ready for next week.”